


A Gift

by Revolutionary_Queen



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Avengers Family, Avengers Feels, F/M, Found Family, Friendship, How Do I Tag, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis Friendship, Lighthearted, Post-Thor: The Dark World, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, ShieldShock - Freeform, The Avengers Need a Hug, Thor (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Tony Stark Has A Heart, all the feels, darcy likes america's ass, endgame Thor needs some serious love, pepper is our queen, shieldshock is there if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23718859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revolutionary_Queen/pseuds/Revolutionary_Queen
Summary: [“Tony,” Pepper interrupted and there was a sense of finality in her words, “you can handle this.”He was already shaking his head.  “Statistics show you’re wrong.  I can’t.  I need an adultier adult—someone who can successfully adult.  Pepper, I need you.  Now.”There was a long moment of quiet on the other line.  When Pepper spoke, her voice was that of clear northern waters on a swift sunrise and it slid past every wall of defense Tony had ever built in only the way she was able to do.“No, it doesn’t sound like Thor needs an adult.  He doesn’t even need the Avengers.  He needs his friends.”]Endgame Thor gets stuck in the wrong time—set after The Dark World but before Winter Soldier.  Friendship fic centric with a splash of Thor/Jane and Shieldshock (if you squint).
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster/Thor, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 55
Kudos: 224





	A Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, it's been a while. I watched Endgame the other night (again) and walked away with the desperate need to fix the way Thor was treated by his friends. The man needs some serious TLC. Out of that came... this. Enjoy!

_“Faithless is he who says farewell when the road darkens,” said Gimli._

_“Maybe,” said Elrond, “but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.”_

-+-

“Pep, I need you.”

“ _Tony._ ” 

A single word response from Pepper Potts was never a good sign (especially when she used _that_ tone). At least not for Tony. However, this was, for once, not a situation in which he could be blamed—there was not a gigantic, floor-to-ceiling, stuffed animal sitting in their living room. 

No, this was much worse. 

For the first time that weekend, Tony regretted not joining Pepper for Stark Industries annual business conference in Malibu. Not that he was worried for his company; she was more competent than any of the previous S.I. CEO’s (of that, Tony could speak of with complete and total confidence). In fact, her skills made the choice for Tony to stay behind in his penthouse in New York tinkering away in his labs quite easy. His old man would have been disappointed in his decision. Maybe that was why the universe decided to literally drop the most terrifying thing he had ever seen on his new Boca Do Lobo center table, smashing it to smithereens.

Nothing, not aliens slithering out of a wormhole, not Loki and his goddamn scepter, not even Aldrich Killian’s big brain could have prepared him for this. He needed Pepper. 

She would know what to do. 

Dear _God_ , he hoped she would know what to do.

“You know that awful moment where you are panicking and frantically searching the room for an adult, only to realize that you are one?” Tony crept up warily to peek over the edge of the counter he was currently hiding behind, eyes perfect circles. “Yeah. Having that moment right now. Help.”

“ _I need you to tell me—_ ”

Whatever Pepper was going to say was cut off by a thunderous roar that ended in a long, drawn out groan with suspicious gurgling.

“ _What was that?!_ ”

Tony’s skin turned a light shade of green as he ducked back down behind the counter, pressing his back firmly into the solid wall behind him. His fist closed over his mouth, stomach turning. Fingers tightening on his Stark Phone, he swallowed and blinked rapidly. The billionaire cleared his throat, voice nonchalant, “So, Thor is here.”

“ _He’s back?_ ” Pepper’s voice rose at the end of her question. 

“Yep. At least I think it’s Thor… he’s,” Tony hesitated, eyes narrowing into thin slits as his brain reached for the right word, “different.”

There was a long pause from Pepper. “ _What do you mean_ different _?_ ”

“Well he’s less Pointbreak and more Jeff Bridges in a bathrobe. He claims he’s from the future and then he started crying. Oh, he also drank all of my alcohol.” His voice dropped into a low whisper. “ _All of it_ , Pepper.”

“ _Why… how?_ ” Tony’s brows shot up as the woman on the other line, the most capable human being to ever grace the earth, was at a loss for words. 

That did not bode well.

“So, I’m sending the plane,” Tony informed her before pausing for a moment, listening intently as the Future-Thor began talking in his sleep—something about a certain nefarious ‘NoobMaster’. Shaking his head, Tony licked his lips, breathing in deeply. “You’ll be leaving in two hours.”

“ _I can’t do that._ ” Pepper told him and the dark haired man frowned deeply.

“Of course you can. It’s my company, just tell them—”

“ _What about the team? Have you called them in?_ ” 

Tony grimaced. “Call in the Avengers? The Avengers mean paperwork and we’re under renovations here, we don’t have the—”

“ _Tony,_ ” Pepper interrupted and there was a sense of finality in her words, “ _you can handle this._ ”

He was already shaking his head. “Statistics show you’re wrong. I can’t. I need an adultier adult—someone who can _successfully_ adult. Pepper, I need you. Now.”

There was a long moment of quiet on the other line. When Pepper spoke, her voice was that of clear northern waters on a swift sunrise and it slid past every wall of defense Tony had ever built in only the way she was able to do.

“ _No, it doesn’t sound like Thor needs an adult. He doesn’t even need the Avengers. He needs his friends._ ”

“I don’t play nice enough to have friends.”

Pepper made a gentle noise in her throat and Tony could envision the understanding smile curling at the corners of her mouth. “ _We both know that’s not true. Call them. Friends help each other—you can rely on the team to help you and Thor right now._ ”

* * *

Tony stared.

He was perched on a stool a solid thirty feet away from the slumbering God of Thunder popping handfuls of raspberry dusted dark chocolate almonds in his mouth every couple of minutes. It was eerily silent in the penthouse, outside of the deep, raspy inhales Future-Thor took (it made Tony think of a hibernating bear). There was no music, no mechanical whirring of Tony’s bots; everything had come to a standstill. JARVIS had already confirmed for Tony what he needed to know with one brief scan of the unconscious lump on his couch. This really was Thor, it wasn’t some mind trick. 

Intelligent eyes swept over the disheveled look of Asgard’s prince, taking in every minute detail. 

Thor had _changed_.

Not just physically; there was something about him, a twitchy sort of energy that made him dangerous—or, perhaps more accurately, in danger of breaking. Tony knew it when he saw it because he had once echoed the very same thing in the core of his being. The invasion of New York had changed Tony, but he had learned, painfully, how to cope with his post-traumatic stress disorder.

It was frightening to think of what had to have happened to bring about _this_ in _Thor_ —Thor who always seemed unshakable, Thor who lived thousands of years, survived endless battles, and was always ready for more. Thor who had been a dependable fortress of strength that the team could always fall back on.

_What the hell happened in the future?_

Tony popped another handful of the chocolate treat in his mouth and chewed vigorously, his brows pinched, mind catapulting one catastrophic possibility after another his way.

He paused, mid-chew, when the elevator doors slid open with a quiet hiss. Surefooted steps, all purpose and determination, drew closer with every second and Tony didn’t have to turn to look to know who it was.

The footfalls suddenly stuttered and then stopped completely, as though truly taking in the situation for the first time.

“What happened?”

Tony swallowed the chocolatey goodness down and nodded with his chin to the man he had yet to be able to tear his eyes away from.

“Lebowski appeared out of thin air, destroyed my new table, emptied out my liquor reserve, and then promptly passed out on my couch.”

Silence, and then—

“I meant what happened to him.”

The billionaire’s mouth thinned and his eyes became very dark as he swiveled in his stool and looked at Steve Rogers. His voice dropped low, each word weighty as it fell from his tongue. “The future happened, Cap.”

Steve took that information and what it meant, what it might indicate for all of them. Finally, after a long moment—“Should we wake him?”

“I wouldn’t suggest it,” Tony shook his head. “Best to let him wake up on his own in these kind of situations.”

“Have you called the others?”

A breathy chuckle filtered through Tony’s nose, “As fate would have it, you were the only other member of Team Avenger available. Nat and Clint are locked down in Siberia somewhere—”

“—Serbia—”

“—Semantics. Bruce is caught up at the university. For now, it’s just us two peas in a pod,” Tony offered him a grin completely devoid of humor. “What’s the plan?”

Steve was frowning hard, violent blue eyes locked on the figure consuming their entire attention. He sucked in a breath, “We wait.”

Nodding, Tony held out the bag he was snacking from, “Almond?” The Captain looked at the offering and when he hesitated, Tony shook it enticingly. “It’s chocolate and raspberry flavored. Very healthy for you, great for muscle building.”

The look on Steve’s face was distinctly _not impressed_ but he reached out and stuck his hand in the bag, much to Tony’s shock.

Of course, at that very moment, Future-Thor chose to join the land of the living once again.

Both men went utterly still at the deep belch. Thor stumbled his way into sitting, his face flushed, eyes pinched in bleary slits at the midday sun streaming through the windows. When he spoke, his voice was tinged with sleep and yet oddly hopeful. Much like that of a child’s.

“Did I hear someone say chocolate?”

Steve’s mouth dropped open slightly and Tony unfurled his body, sliding off the stool to his feet. “Sure did. You want some?”

At the same time, Steve called out, incredulously. “ _Thor?_ ”

The sound of the Captain’s voice seemed to pull Future-Thor out of his sleepy state because the big man shook once, like his body had been struck by a bolt of lightning. The god’s head snapped up, face one of utter innocent delight as he blinked rapidly.

“My friends!” Tony caught the slight crack of emotion in Thor’s voice as he rose unsteadily to his feet, massive arms opened wide. Future-Thor moved swiftly and surprisingly in a straight line towards them, despite the fact that Tony was sure his blood-alcohol levels were through the roof. His ratty robe trailed behind him, as his cape once had. “Steven,” Thor laughed and then glanced around, as though he was missing something, “where is… what year is it?”

Steve opened his mouth but Future-Thor cut him off before he could get a single syllable out.

“Wait, no. Shh. Don’t tell me that. There are rules. But, tell me, have you obliterated the capital of this nation yet?”

Silence and then Steve croaked out, “Have I _what_?”

Grimacing Thor forced out a laugh that was a little too loud for all of their ears and flapped his hand dismissively, “Oh, never mind, it’s nothing—absolutely nothing to worry about! We’re fine, everything is going to be fine, it’s all fine.” His hands were wrapped in a dingy looking cloth but there was still enormous power there as he gripped Steve’s shoulders, patting down the Captain’s arms. “You look good, strong, _statuesque_.”

“Thank… you,” Steve said slowly as Thor’s grin became manic around the edges. And then Tony watched as something shifted in the Captain and he carefully covered Thor’s trembling hands with his own, a soft, understanding smile overtaking his lips. “Whatever happened, it’s going to be okay, Thor. We’re here to help.”

A tremor shot through the Future-Thor, a shutter fell behind his eyes revealing a well of naked vulnerability—the kind that was almost uncomfortable to see. Tony could practically envision the hot lump forming and filling in the god’s throat as Thor tried to wetly swallow around it, his fingers twisted Steve’s shirt until the tendons stretched white over his knuckles.

“There was a mistake,” Thor whispered desperately. “I messed up and missed my time because I was stupid. I did it—it’s wrong, my fault, everything is my fault. Please, forgive me.”

“Capsicle’s right,” Tony declared with a decisive nod. He moved over towards the other two and placed a firm, grounding hand on Thor’s shoulder. “Mistakes can be fixed and you’ve got us now.”

Steve sent Tony a grateful smile, something that the billionaire was positive the Captain had never given him before, and then turned back to Thor, his brows pinching and lifting up in the middle, voice soft. “Should we call Jane for you?”

Future-Thor went very still at that. His eyes grew distant, lips parting so he could let out the shaky breath. “J… Jane?”

“I can send the car for her,” Tony told him assuredly, “we can get her here in no time.”

There was a long moment of silence, and then—

“I would like that. Very much.”

* * *

Snagging Jane from the Hayden Planetarium was easier than it should have been. Tony would have to make sure to do something about that. As it were, Thor’s lady love was fresh from her bout in London and had conveniently relocated in New York City. One call was all it took for Jane Foster to ditch her students and her lecture and come running.

Her enthusiasm was admirable.

Before the elevator doors finished fully opening, there was a female cry of both worry and excitement.

“Thor!”

She was nothing but a blur of tiny, mousy haired, astrophysicist energy as she darted across the room and leapt into Future-Thor’s open arms, nearly knocking the good Captain over in her rush to push past him. Tony watched, amused, as she latched onto the God of Thunder like a spider-monkey.

“Jane,” Thor breathed out, lifting her easily. His eyes searched hers, as though he couldn’t quite believe she was there. “I’ve missed you so… I—” He began and then stopped, his voice dropping low, drenched in some unseen torment, “I am sorry. I was a fool.”

Dr. Foster’s hands cupped Thor’s ragged face, her lips parting as she shook her head, not understanding his words. Her fingers traced the scar over his eye, and his eyes fluttered shut at her whispering touch. A soft, pained noise escaped her throat.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through or even where you’ve been,” Jane began, “but I can see you’re in pain right now. Whatever happens in the future, Thor, I’m here,” she said, placing her palm over his heart. “Right here; and I’ll always be there.”

Thor’s face crumpled slightly as he slowly lowered Jane to the ground, but he kept his hands on her waist, like he wanted to pick her back up once more. Both Tony and Steve glanced away when the god leaned forward and touched his forehead to Jane’s, breathing in her essence. The moment felt too intimate to be comfortable watching.

The moment was broken, however, when the elevator doors slid open to reveal someone Tony had not expected.

“I swear to Odin’s sweaty balls, Jane, if you rush off and leave me again with Agent Sour Face—”

“I’ll have you know that my head of security is no agent and his name happens to be Happy,” Tony defended and Darcy glanced at him in a quick, assessing manner. His eyes narrowed, “Also, who are you?”

“Then tell that to his face,” the woman said with a quirk of her lips. “I’m—”

“Darcy!” Thor bellowed out before she could finish and it sounded so strange; like thunder had been given lugs and was laughing. He moved faster than any of them could have expected and swept Darcy right off her feet in a bone-crushing hug.

Darcy made a squawking sound but there was a giant smile on her red lips. “Hey Big Guy— _oof_ ,” she patted his thick shoulders, her arms and legs now dangling helplessly. “Wow. This is such a long hug.”

“It’s so good to see you,” Thor’s voice was one big grin, “thank you for coming.”

Steve shifted on his feet, clearly out of his element, and his movement caught Thor’s eye. There was something akin to recognition in the god’s gaze and Tony blinked as Thor very purposefully set Darcy back on the ground and placed his bear-like hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face the two other men… Or one in particular. 

“My good Captain, it is my great honor to introduce to you the lovely but fierce Darcy Lewis. She is a most faithful sister.”

There was a brief moment of silence as things clicked into place and Darcy’s eyes bulged three times their size. She whipped her head around and hissed, her voice still loud enough that all occupants in the room heard her. “Oh my god, you can’t just suddenly introduce me to my _husband_ without proper warning. I would have gotten all fancy and shit. _He’s perfect!_ ”

Tony coughed to cover his laugh as the skin on Steve’s neck turned a light shade of pink, blooming up to his face.

“I don’t,” Steve began, confusion coloring every syllable, “think we’ve met?”

“You’ve been her pretend husband for a few years now,” Jane supplied.

“Not pretend!” Darcy raised one finger in the air as she corrected her friend.

“How did you—” Thor began, staring down at Darcy in shock, and then stopped abruptly, his whole body freezing before clearing his throat. “Ah, yes, well, best make a good impression now. Smile nicely.”

“I don’t smile on command,” Darcy monotoned but when she turned back to Tony and Steve, her eyes flickered nervously between the two before settling on the Captain. Her skin now matched Steve’s. She lifted her hand in a slight half-wave. “Hi, I’m Darcy and I’ve been drinking this morning.”

“So have I!” Thor gasped out and somewhere to the left Jane groaned. 

The scientist stepped forward, ducking her way naturally under Thor’s arm, her body language apologetic. “I don’t know his excuse but Darcy discovered the car had a minibar.”

“It’s not every day you get to raid Tony Stark’s liquor,” Darcy shrugged, gaze sliding to the billionaire before being shyly drawn back to the still shocked-into-silence Steve Rogers.

“Is everyone taking my alcohol today? Is this a thing?” Tony asked no one in particular.

Steve, however, finally found his voice, he stepped forward and offered his hand to Darcy. “Hello.”

“Hi again,” Darcy murmured, placing her hand in his and shaking it briefly.

Thor looked like a cat in the cream. The God of Thunder sighed with all the drama of Elizabeth Bennett’s mother in _Pride and Prejudice_ , “Isn’t it lovely?”

* * *

They had settled around the dining room table, Jane perched in Thor’s lap, neither seemingly able to extract themselves from the other. Darcy rested her elbow on the table, head in her hand, an easy and open smile on her face as she listened to Future-Thor regale them with his storytelling. Tony didn’t say a word, but he noticed Cap eyeing the dark-haired woman more than once.

“What’s the timeline,” Tony finally asked and Thor’s eyes slid his way, questioning. “Obviously we can’t know what you’re mission is—”

“—Correct—”

“—or other sensitive information that could affect future decisions. So, I’m wondering how long you’ll be here? I imagine since you appeared out of thin air that you will also disappear when you return to your time?”

Future-Thor nodded, lifting his hand to the device wrapped around his knuckles. Tony eyed it curiously, the tech looked familiar enough to know that the future him had a hand in creating it.

“I missed my original cue. I am not sure when I will be able to return but I imagine the others will bring me back soon enough,” Thor frowned then, a burning sort of sadness tinging the tone of his voice. “If they still want me.”

“They’d be goddamn idiots if they didn’t,” the fierceness with which Darcy spoke had Tony looking at her in a new light. Jane nodded in total agreement. “You are _still_ worthy, Thor.”

There wasn’t much that was spectacular about the woman, if he didn’t count her breasts or pretty face. Nothing had put her on Tony’s radar before this moment. Unlike Dr. Foster’s career, Darcy Lewis was completely unknown. But when she turned fiery eyes Tony and Steve’s way, the billionaire got a glimpse of what actually held team Thor together. 

“And if the Future-Avengers turn out to be assholes, Jane and I will pay them a visit and it will not be pretty,” one dark brow lifted and Tony smirked, tilting his head at her challenge. Darcy narrowed her eyes. “Capiche?”

Steve merely nodded solemnly at her word and then blue eyes flicked to Thor. “What _can_ you tell us about the future?”

Thor blinked, clearly thinking, a storm brewing in his eyes, and then his face cleared.

“Ah, well, Loki did not die by the Dark Elves.”

“ _What?_ ” Jane shrieked.

Steve’s hand closed into a fist. “He’s still out there?”

“Oh yes, currently he is masquerading as the King of Asgard, though no one is supposed to know that. He is, what is it you Midgardians say? ‘ _Cool as a cucumber_ ’…” Thor paused and his brows furrowed a little, his voice thoughtful. “A dangerous, malicious cucumber.”

Darcy laughed at that last comment. Tony, however, had gone utterly still at the mere mention of Loki being alive and active. Something inside of him twisted, like a rotting, hidden root of a tree, making it hard to think or speak. He counted to ten slowly, breathing in deeply with each number until the knot in his stomach unfurled slightly, loosening his muscles once more.

Blinking as he came back to the present, Tony glanced around to see all of the occupants at the table watching him with varying forms of sympathy.

“You have no need to fret, Anthony,” Future-Thor spoke in a quiet rumble. “My brother will not harm you again.”

Shifting in his seat, uncomfortable being the center of _this_ kind of attention, Tony nodded in a jerking sort of manner. “Good deal.”

Steve waited a moment, eyeing Tony, before turning back to Thor. “What else can you tell us?”

Future-Thor was quiet for a long time, his hand curled around Jane’s shoulder, eyes cast downward. He shook his head slowly.

“Not much, I’m afraid. Do not fear, though I do not know the end myself, there _is_ hope. We must not lose that, above all else,” Thor’s eyes lifted, a millennia of history fogging them over slightly, and he offered a small, closed-lip smile. “This moment, right now, with all of you, is a gift.”

“Why don’t we celebrate then?” Darcy spoke up, voice carrying a cautious note. “At least while you’re still here with us.”

Thor brightened at that, “Yes, drinks all around!”

“Eh,” Tony grimaced, “Take it from me, that isn’t the best option right now.” Steve nodded in agreement and then Tony wrapped his knuckles on the table twice before rising up out of his seat. “I have something else in mind.”

* * *

It was a long shot, but one Tony was willing to bet money on. In fact, as he watched Thor’s face light up like a Christmas tree as they piled out of the SUV, he wished he had bet money on this.

“What _is_ this place?” Thor asked in no small amount of awe.

Tony adjusted his sunglasses, “This, my worthy friend, is—”

“Coney Island.” Steve said, his lips curling into a grin that couldn’t be classified as anything other than nostalgic.

They gazed over the masses of people, the families venturing out, the laughter of children filling the air, and Tony breathed it in with a tiny, satisfied grin. “I thought it might suit you both,” Tony’s eyes flickered over Steve. “How long has it been for you, Cap?”

The other man didn’t answer and that alone was enough to tell Tony that he had made the right choice. Jane and Darcy were already eyeing a nearby ice cream stand, testing out a flavor they were interested in when Tony declared they all needed a scoop, or three to start their adventure off. 

Ice cream in hand, their odd crew—complete with Future-Thor in his robe and Tony in his Armani suit—wandered the grounds. The two members with superhuman strength had very different experiences with the carnival games; where Steve held himself back (to the point that it was a detriment to his success), Thor ended up breaking most of the carnival games he touched. But he won Jane a stuffed penguin and whatever sorrow had bound itself to the God of Thunder seemed to have lifted its claws from his skin, if only for the afternoon.

That was enough for Tony.

“You did a good thing, Stark.”

Tony’s brows lifted as he glanced over to the dark haired woman who had appeared at his side. She wasn’t looking at him, her eyes were locked on Jane and Thor as they laughed together before drifting carefully to Steve who was lost in his memories as he peacefully overlooked the sparkling water from the pier.

“Glad to have your approval,” Tony murmured and Darcy nodded, like he should be.

“It’s not easily given.”

“Noted.”

“Listen,” Darcy started, her voice quiet, “I don’t know what all of this means for our future… but I hope you know that you don’t have to be alone either.”

Tony blanched at that, “I’m not—”

“Sometimes loneliness is a choice,” Darcy cut him off with a knowing look. “You don’t have to choose that. I’m just saying, I know you scientist type.”

The billionaire turned to face her fully, his expression carefully blank, “Oh, do you?”

She nodded, brows lifting slightly. “I’m well acquainted,” she murmured and then her eyes flashed to his. “I mean it though. If you ever need someone, Jane and I are here. I know the Avengers sort of scatter to the wind, but we’re here. I’m aware you hardly know us but this just has me thinking about what may be coming.”

The pair fell quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of seagulls above. The wind was warm and a salty gust hit them, pushing strands of dark hair into Darcy’s face. Tony watched, amused, as she battled with the few strands that got stuck to the lipstick she was wearing.

“Are you just saying all of this so you can eventually get into Rogers pants?”

If it were anyone else, Tony would have expected them to be offended, but Darcy just rolled her eyes and smirked. “Don’t tempt me,” she warned and then paused, squinting and tilting her head, “Do you think I’ve ruined my chances?”

A genuine chuckle escaped out of Tony’s throat as he turned to face the sea, “I’ll put in a good word.”

Darcy stared at the billionaire, her voice deadpan. “Is that going to help or harm me?”

“Jury’s out,” Tony told her flippantly. A minute later he glanced back down at her and nodded. “Thanks, kid.”

She tucked a few more stray strands of hair behind her ear and grinned but didn’t say anything more.

Until—

“ _Psst_.”

Darcy was tugging hard on his sleeve and nodding towards the direction Thor was determinedly headed, eyes clouded with worry. “We saw what he did to the balloon dart stand… you want to handle this one, or should I?”

The billionaire smirked, unbuttoning his jacket with flair, “And you said you were experienced. Hmph. _Amateur_.”

He quickly caught up with Thor and Jane just as they approached the Carney who was watching them warily (their reputation for destruction must have spread quickly). Thor was motioning with his meaty hand to the ride.

“How much for the horse tornado?”

The Carney just stared at Thor for a long moment before swiftly glancing at the ride and back, “Sir, that is a carousel.”

Future-Thor nodded once, decision made.

“I must have it.”

Confusion swept over the Carney’s face, until Tony stepped forward with a suave smile. “You heard the man. We want the horse tornado.”

“But—like to ride? Or…” The young man’s voice died off and Tony’s lips pursed in consideration.

“We’ll ride it first. Now what do you have that will hold him?”

* * *

Tony Stark liked to make an entrance.

He was good at it, too. The flashier, the better. Some might say he was even better at making an exit. Despite all of his experience, he wasn’t sure what it conveyed to the Future-Avengers that when they finally succeeded in transporting their Thor back to their time that the God of Thunder had been in the middle of his third carousel ride and was happily seated on a white stallion, calling the others into a glorious battle charge. 

Steve had done a stand up job of using his fame as a distraction to Thor’s sudden disappearance. The Captain had sighed and removed the baseball hat he had donned and almost immediately attracted a gaggle of children (and middle-aged women) to his side while he signed autographs and posed for photos. 

Darcy and Jane snuck off of the ride, fleeing out the back exit where Tony was waiting for them. Dr. Foster was holding up better than Tony anticipated. Aside from the occasional sniffle, she marched on towards the car with purpose. 

Once Steve was able to extricate himself from his adoring fans, he joined them, sliding into the passenger seat with speed and efficiency. The ride to Jane and Darcy’s apartment in Queens was quiet as thoughts and questions raced through all of their minds. 

When they pulled up to the curb, Jane swallowed audibly, her voice low. "I miss him."

"Me too, Janey," Darcy agreed, softly.

Steve reached for the handle on his door, “I’ll walk you both in.”

Tony twisted in his own seat, content to let the Cap be the gentleman. When he opened Darcy’s door for her though, she was already in mid-sentence.

“Can I see that little notebook thingy you carry around?” She demanded more than she asked and when Steve’s brows furrowed, Darcy rolled her eyes and pointed considerably lower. “The one you keep in your left back pocket?”

Steve went still. “How’d you know it was there?”

“I was staring at your ass,” Darcy told him with an unapologetic grin and Tony choked back a laugh when he saw the look on Stars and Stripes face. The man was frozen in shock, it seemed, and Darcy must have been used to that reaction from most people because she wiggled her fingers in the air playfully. “Gimme.”

“Be good, Darcy,” Jane murmured and the darker haired woman’s body language was practically one big eye roll as she rolled her head around to glance behind her. 

“I’m being very good. I need a pen though, you got one?”

Tony reached into his suit pocket when Jane shook her head. He pulled out a sleek black pen that may or may not have been lined with real gold. It was reserved for signing Important Things (which he never really did, but appearances were important). The billionaire held it out to the younger woman with a small upturn of his lips. “For the sake of science,” Tony reasoned as Darcy took it with glee.

She eyed the pen briefly, muttering, “Fancy.”

The look on Steve’s face was indecipherable as she all but snatched the small notebook out of his hands and flipped it open to a blank page and began scribbling something down.

All of the occupants of the vehicle watched in interest as she handed it back to America’s Golden Boy with a toothy grin and a sincere case of the waggling eyebrows. “This is my number in case Future-You ever wants to go get some future-coffee or something.”

Steve stared at the digits she had written and Tony wondered how much Steve would kill him if he outed the man on his photogenic memory right this moment.

“Why do you call me your husband?” Steve asked, suddenly.

Darcy just smiled, eyes twinkling happily. “Take me out for coffee and find out.”

“Nicely played,” Tony commented and Darcy turned around with a shit-eating grin while Steve’s eyes flashed to the older man.

Before anyone could respond, the sound of a quacking duck filled the quiet space of the car and Tony twisted further in his seat, staring at Dr. Foster incredulously.

“Oh!” Jane yelped, pulling out her phone and silencing the alarm. When her eyes flicked back up, they locked onto Darcy. “It’s time, come on!”

Jane began scrambling out of the vehicle, all clumsy feet and dangerously pointy elbows. Steve stopped her from becoming one with the asphalt and steadied her back on her own two feet. The tiny woman grinned and thanked him before racing up the cement steps of their porch. She got to the door, froze, and then turned back around and scrambled her way back over to the car. Jane poked her head in and looked right at Tony.

“Sorry, that was rude, but thank you! Today was…” Jane trailed off, brows pinching together. Darcy shot her a look of affection.

“Good,” Darcy offered and Jane jerked, looking at her friend before nodding. 

“Yes, that. I can’t thank you enough—” 

The quacking alarm on her phone started to go off once more and Jane’s eyes widened comically. Tony shook his head with a soft chuckle.

“Go,” he shooed her away and Jane’s expression was one of pure gratitude. She turned and patted Steve’s shoulder in thanks as well before racing back up the stairs to their apartment.

Darcy watched her go with a fond look before sliding her gaze to the two men and whispering, “Jane has gotten really into The Bachelor and tonight is the season finale. She’s been waiting for it all week.”

“Ah,” Tony nodded sagely, choosing not to mention that he had been a candidate for the show before Pepper shut down that possibility. “Well then, you can’t miss that.”

“Nope,” Darcy agreed and then turned to the Captain. She tapped the notebook he still held in his hand and grinned, “Looking forward to our coffee, my dear husband.”

Steve was too flustered to respond and was thankfully saved by Jane’s piercing screech. “ _Darcy! Fix the TV!_ ”

“Coming, Boss Lady,” Darcy called back before waving goodbye to both of the men and starting up the stairs. At the top, she spun on her heels, her face drawn inward and voice quiet, “Don’t forget what I said, Stark.”

Tony lifted two fingers in response and kept his sunglasses firmly in place as Steve got back in the passenger seat. They could hear Darcy shouting as she went through their front door, “You know, Janey, if you ever actually wore underwear, I’d tell you to not get them in a twist— _ow!_ That was uncalled for!”

Snorting, Tony shook his head and threw the car into drive. Silence fell in between the two men and it wasn’t the most comfortable feeling in the world. In fact, Steve wasn’t the most comfortable person in the world for Tony to be alone with (had they ever actually been alone together?). As that thought ruminated in his head, his fingers tapped out a sporadic rhythm on the steering wheel.

“Where to, Cap?”

Steve glanced his way and stared at him for a long moment before hesitatingly asking, “Do you want to get a beer, Tony?”

Grateful for the sunglasses he wore that provided him with some kind of privacy to his thoughts, Tony licked his lips. He nodded, working hard to keep his voice in that perfectly nonchalant tone he had mastered years and years ago.

“Sure, why not?” He answered, staring straight ahead as he drove. Then, after a moment, “You can show me one of your old hangs in Brooklyn.”

“I know a couple of places,” Steve’s tone bled with mischief in a way that Tony had never witnessed up until this moment. He had to stop himself from gawking at the man beside him as Steve’s lips curved into a lopsided smirk.

Grinning unabashedly at this new prospect, Tony drummed a happier rhythm on the steering wheel and flicked a button on the stereo, blasting them with some tunes. 

“Lead the way, Cap.”

* * *

Later that night, Tony lay in bed, alone and buzzed but for the first time in far too long, he wasn’t lonely. Something about today had scratched an itch he wasn’t even aware he had been neglecting.

Plus, he also learned that if you get Steve Rogers in the right mood, he stopped holding back on his abilities and became an absolute pool shark. If Tony was not who he was, and if Steve wasn’t who he was, he thought he could make a pretty great bookie for the Captain.

Belly full of cheap bar food and cheaper liquor, Tony rolled onto his side with a contented sigh. Maybe Pepper was right. Maybe the Avengers could be more than just a team.

Maybe they could even be friends.

**Author's Note:**

> For those who know me, you know me by my previous work, No Greater Love, a mega-gigantic a/b/o WinterShieldShock fic. I’ve shared an update on my [tumblr](https://r3volutionary-queen.tumblr.com/) that might explain things a bit better concerning that. 
> 
> For those who don’t know me, hello and welcome, I'm Rev. I'm stretching out my writing muscles with some oneshots and drabbles and I hope you enjoy this. I would love to hear what you think, friends old and new. Comment below and let’s catch up (or introduce ourselves).


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